Alberta is famous for its world-class trout fishing, especially along the lower Bow River. This 55-kilometre stretch below Calgary is a paradise for anglers, teeming with trophy-sized rainbow and brown trout.
But did you know Alberta is also home to three native trout species fighting for survival? The Westslope Cutthroat, Athabasca Rainbow, and Bull trout (Alberta’s provincial fish) are all listed under the Federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), meaning their habitats are legally protected as part of recovery efforts.
Yet, despite these protections, their critical habitats are still disappearing. So, what’s going on?
Widespread Habitat Loss
A new report commissioned by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Native Trout Critical Habitat Loss in Southern Alberta, documents critical trout habitat loss across a wide swath of forested area ranging from the Oldman watershed in the south to the Ghost watershed northwest of Cochrane, including areas of Kananaskis.
In short, according to the CPAWS report, logging is the major culprit, and West Fraser Timber (formerly Spray Lake Sawmills), based in Cochrane, is the major logging operator in this area.
“This report quantifies the startling extent of habitat loss caused by forestry operations in the South Saskatchewan River Basin, which contains most remaining Westslope Cutthroat trout habitat and a significant proportion of remaining Bull trout habitat,” states CPAWS.
West Fraser was in hot water last year when it built an unpermitted bridge over the Highwood River to prepare for clearcut logging in the Highwood region of Kananaskis.
Environmental and watchdog groups‘ outrage resulted in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) ordering West Fraser to remove the bridge, install a properly permitted bridge, and remediate the stream from the previous bridge.
In a statement to The Cochrane Eagle, West Fraser said: “Based on stakeholder inputs and the DFO approval, we are now starting the remediation phase of the existing Highwood River bridge…. All remediation activities were reviewed and accepted by DFO. We forecast the installment of a new structure in its place by the summer of 2025.”
West Fraser plans to log an area roughly the size of 2,000 football fields in the Upper Highwood drainage in the fall of 2025.
Questionable Logging Practices
According to a report by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), the illegal bridge was just one of many infractions committed by the logging company.
“We found large numbers of stream crossings caused Critical Habitat destruction, but none had a SARA (Species At Risk Act) permit. We also found hundreds of hectares of riparian Critical Habitat lost due to insufficient protections on smaller watercourses,” the report states.
The damage extends beyond just lost habitat. The report further warns: “Roads built for [forestry] access not only cause direct losses of riparian areas but also create surface erosion risks that have a major impact on native trout habitat.”
Beyond the environmental consequences, opposition to logging in Kananaskis is fierce. Many, from the mayors of High River and Okotoks to conservation and recreation groups, question why logging is permitted in such a cherished area.
Amber Toner, a member of Take a Stand for the Upper Highwood, argues that allowing logging contradicts the very purpose of the Kananaskis Conservation Pass—a $90 annual fee paid by Albertans to support the preservation of this wilderness. “The stated purpose of the Pass was to provide sustainable funding for the government to keep this special part of Alberta beautiful and protected for generations to come. Allowing this industrial activity will neither protect nor conserve the area,” she says.
Environmental advocates like Josh Killeen from CPAWS and Devon Earl from the Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) stress the need for continued vigilance. While logging operations have been temporarily halted, they insist this should lead to a permanent ban on clearcutting in Kananaskis.
The CPAWS report paints a grim picture of the logging industry’s impact on critical trout habitat.
“For Westslope Cutthroat trout, an estimated 28 km of critical habitat watercourse was impacted by harvest areas. For Bull trout, an estimated 85 km of critical habitat watercourse was impacted by harvest areas,” the report states.
The lingering question remains: Will this damning report lead to meaningful change in logging practices? Or will it be business as usual—endangered fish species be damned?
